This invention relates generally to improvements in emergency eyewash stations designed particularly for use in a laboratory or industrial environment to provide a flush flow of water to remove irritants and/or contaminants from a person's eyes. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved emergency eyewash unit for providing an improved inside-out directed flush flow of water. In various preferred embodiments, the improved eyewash unit may additionally provide a facewash flush flow and/or an overhead emergency shower.
Emergency eyewash stations are generally known in the art for use in washing or flushing toxic substances from a person's eyes. Such eyewash stations are commonly used in laboratory and/or industrial applications wherein personnel are required to handle or otherwise work in proximity with substances which can be potentially harmful if contacted with the eyes. A typical eyewash station includes one or more spray nozzles or spray heads mounted over or in close association with an appropriate sink or drain, with means for rapidly and easily opening a valve to provide a flushing flow of water to a person's eyes and/or face to flush irritants and contaminants therefrom.
In the past, emergency eyewash stations have generally provided a pair of upwardly directed converging water streams for flushing contaminants from the eyes and face. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,740,469 and 5,754,990 which depict a pair of spray heads oriented to deliver a respective pair of water streams upwardly and angularly converging toward each other. However, such converging flush flow streams tend to wash contaminants located in or around a person's eyes in an outside-in, or inward, direction toward the person's tear ducts and sinus cavities. Accordingly, the inward-directed flush flows may carry the contaminants into contact with these anatomical structures where tissue damage can be increased. In addition, in the case of fluids washing into and around the nose, sinus cavities, and mouth, such fluids can be ingested and/or swallowed thereby further spreading the contaminants.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for improvements in and to eyewash stations, particularly with respect to providing improved water-flow flushing of contaminants from a person's eyes while reducing or eliminating contaminant contact with the person's tear ducts and/or sinus cavities. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.